Jayde Haas from Ebenezer Middle School is a state winner in the River of Words competition for her piece “Rain.”

Haas’ teacher at EMS is Marsha Lott.

The River of Words traveling exhibit will be on display Sept. 21-Oct. 4 at the Bull Street Library. River of Words is an international youth poetry and art competition produced by the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

River of Words is a national poetry and art competition coordinated in Georgia by the Georgia Center for the Book and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), a program of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Students in grades four-12 are invited to create visual art or poetry that shows an understanding and appreciation of their natural environment, and specifically of their own watershed. The contest is designed to help young people explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express, through poetry and art, what they discover.

More than 100,000 entries have been submitted since the program began in 1997. Thousands of students have participated in Georgia; more than 2,000 entries in three grade categories were received in 2008. Entries are judged on a state and national level; Georgia has had several National Grand Prize Winners in recent years

According to ROW co-founder Robert Hass, “It’s thrilling to see, year after year, these young writers and artists giving us back the places where we live through their words and images. Through their explorations and reflection on their homegrounds, we are all made more aware of the beauty, history and fragility of our natural landscapes."

The Bull Street Library is located at 2002 Bull St. in Savannah. The exhibit may be viewed during regular operating hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sundays from 2-6 p.m.

For more information on River of Words, visit www.riverofwords.org.